Caf General Secretary Resigns Amid Fallout From Afcon Final Controversy

Véron Mosengo-Omba, nan Confederation of African Football (Caf) wide secretary, has resigned after repeated calls for his removal and astatine a turbulent clip for nan crippled connected nan continent.

Mosengo-Omba said he was retiring but his departure comes amid a situation of assurance successful nan organisation’s leadership, pinch a increasing fallout complete nan determination to portion Senegal of nan Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title and calls for an investigation into alleged corruption astatine African football’s governing body.

There has been a swell of caller disapproval of his staying connected arsenic wide caput good past nan organisation’s mandatory status property of 63, mostly connected societal media but besides from members of Caf’s executive committee.

“After complete 30 years of an world master profession dedicated to promoting an perfect shape of shot that brings group together, educates, and creates opportunities for hope, I person decided to measurement down from my position arsenic Secretary General of Caf to give myself to much individual projects,” Mosengo-Omba said successful a statement.

“Now that I person been capable to dispel nan suspicions that immoderate group person gone to awesome lengths to formed connected me, I tin discontinue pinch bid of mind and without constraint, leaving nan Caf much prosperous than ever.

“I sincerely convey nan Caf’s President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, my teams, and each those who, straight aliases indirectly, person enabled Caf and organised African shot to make existent and singular progress. Let america dream that nan advancement made will past and beryllium sustained.”

Mosengo-Omba has been a divisive fig astatine Caf, accused by immoderate labor of creating a toxic ambiance successful nan workplace, though an investigation aft unit complaints cleared him of immoderate wrongdoing. The 66-year-old is of Congolese root but a Swiss national and erstwhile Fifa worker who was a assemblage friend of Fifa president, Gianni Infantino.

Although he said he was retiring, Mosengo-Omba is expected to tally for nan station of president of nan Democratic Republic of Congo’s shot federation successful elections successful nan coming months. If successful, that would thrust him into contention for Caf’s apical occupation should Motsepe resign to participate authorities successful his autochthonal South Africa, wherever he is being touted arsenic a imaginable successor to nan president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe has, however, denied this.

Earlier this period Motsepe admitted Caf was struggling pinch questions complete its integrity and, successful nan aftermath of nan Afcon last controversy, Senegal’s authorities has called for an world investigation into nan moving of nan organisation.

Stripping Senegal of nan Afcon title was a determination made by Caf’s appeals committee but arsenic a consequence location has been a dense toll connected nan image of nan African game. Caf said connected Sunday that its competitions director, Samson Adamu, would return complete arsenic acting wide secretary.